As 2015 gears up we continue this look back to the major headlines of Nintendo's 2014, assessing the best and worst of the big N's year. The January to March entry covered the year's first Nintendo Direct and some serious issues for the company, with Satoru Iwata coming under pressure over poor business performance. April to June, however, brought us the beginnings of a comeback, while gamers had some memorable experiences to enjoy.
April
April begins, of course, with April Fools' Day, and we managed to have a bit of fun with an 'exclusive' on a Nintendo VR platform called the Virtual U; the majority rumbled us quickly, and our choice of topic was a mix of silliness and wishful thinking; 2014 was a year where Virtual Reality was the hottest subject in town. One prank that didn't go so well, however, was when EA dev Frostbite taunted the Wii U, prompting an apology from Peter Moore.
Nintendo had a funny-old April, overall, but certainly one that got fans talking and rather excited about what was to come. Early on there was a Super Smash Bros. Direct hosted by Masahiro Sakurai, in which a whole load of challengers - including Greninja and Zero Suit Samus - were confirmed while we were given the lowdown on unique modes and 60FPS performance for the 3DS entry, and new online multiplayer modes and 'code of conduct' rules. While the promised Summer 2014 release window for the 3DS entry was eventually missed, it was nevertheless a highly entertaining Nintendo Direct.
There were two more Directs in April, though Nintendo released them directly onto YouTube with no forewarning. There were a whole load of details on content and modes in a humorous Mario Kart 8 Direct towards the end of the month, in which we learnt more of customisation options, new characters and Mario Kart TV. An equally bonkers straight-to-YouTube Direct confirmed Tomodachi Life for the West, the first of the IP released outside of Japan and what would prove to be a sales success on 3DS. Nintendo did begin to tackle the controversy over the game's absence of same-sex marriage, a topic that would continue into May.
This month brought hardware bundle announcements, too - the biggest headlines went to the Mario Kart 8 Wii U bundle, but a pink and white 2DS Kirby: Triple Deluxe bundle also reminded us that the portable remained a priority for Nintendo. There was also buzz around the official details for Mario Golf: World Tour DLC (a precursor to extensive DLC in other games as 2014 progressed), while some fun lighthearted stories included Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida joking about his Miiverse ban. There was also celebration as the Game Boy turned 25 years old.
Oh, and Nintendo made a big deal of revealing its E3 plans.
May
Major news from Nintendo would arrive from its annual financial results investor briefing, with the headline story being Satoru Iwata's announcement of the Nintendo Figurine Platform; this would later emerge as amiibo at E3. Another intriguing comment from Iwata-san was that Nintendo's plan for redefining the video game industry was two years away - whatever that means - while he also had to defend low Wii U sales projections. During May Nintendo also directed a fair bit of attention towards its upcoming E3 efforts - we learnt that it would host two major evening presentations, were given venues and details for the Best Buy Smash-Fest events and told that Zelda Williams would be doing something special at E3; this final tease wasn't that announcement, as it would come later in the year.
Major releases were grabbing attention, of course, and the début footage of Pokemon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire generated serious hype. Hyrule Warriors details and screens were on a regular rotation from Koei Tecmo, while details of free Mercedes DLC for Mario Kart 8 in Japan caused a stir as fans dreamt of proper DLC. Intrigue and buzz around Tomodachi Life continued to grow as Nintendo issued demo codes through Club Nintendo, though it was a title that generated continued controversy that raged on from April. A botched non-apology led to anger from a 'Miiquality' campaign, though Nintendo then struck a far more conciliatory tone and promised more consideration in future entries. It was a rare instance of such difficult topics confronting the big N head on.
There were some interesting stories related to Nintendo games in this month, such as Nintendo revealing plans to develop all-new distinct hardware for the Chinese market and decent Sonic Lost World sales. We learned that Story of Seasons would be localised, while Smash Bros. hype developed further with accessory company PDC announcing a GameCube-inspired fight pad. On the wackier side of things an Ocarina of Time prototype was listed for $100,000; we're still rummaging through our attic for similarly valuable games.
And yes, Mario Kart 8 was released.
June
Plenty happened in June, but we'll start with the month's biggest event, E3. Nintendo's main event followed those of Sony and Microsoft, but it seized some early attention nevertheless with a glut of eShop game reveals on YouTube. The main Nintendo Digital Event won a lot of popular acclaim, with the earnest, snappy and sharp format providing a refreshing change from the conventional press events of other companies - animations from Robot Chicken helped set the tone, while new titles and products such as amiibo, Mario Maker, Splatoon, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and more made their first appearances. A scheduling screw-up by Time, however, brought a megaton before the event - Star Fox was revealed for Wii U. The biggest moment, though, was arguably the first footage and details for The Legend of Zelda for Wii U.
We saw more of previously announced games, too, with a big emphasis on Super Smash Bros. and new footage of games like Yoshi's Woolly World and Xenoblade Chronicles X. Beyond that event there were more reveals, including Devil's Third and Code Name S.T.E.A.M., while the Super Smash Bros. Invitational was a terrific live show. Arguably the biggest triumph of E3 was the rolling daily stream from the Nintendo Treehouse team, in which games were shown in more detail by the highly-regarded localisation team. In terms of bringing fans closer to E3, it played a big role in creating the perception that Nintendo had done an excellent job in Los Angeles. One of the few downers was Satoru Iwata missing the festivities due to illness (an operation to resolve a bile duct growth) and the extraordinary admission from Ubisoft that it is holding back a completed Wii U game until sales pick up.
Beyond E3, Mario Kart 8 made some headlines - it passed 1.2 million sales on its launch weekend around the world, the Luigi death stare went viral, that Mercedes DLC was confirmed for the West and there was debate over whether fire-hopping should be patched out of the game (it wasn't); we also loved this instance of a Walmart employee being confused by the game's concept. Beyond Mario Kart 8 the hype continued to build for Hyrule Warriors, and the Wii U was in the headlines with a major system update that added the Quick Start menu. In smaller news European eShop fans saw the first example of actual cross-buy between Wii U and 3DS. A fresh 2DS bundle with New Super Mario Bros. 2 didn't really set pulses racing, admittedly, and EA bemused and perhaps amused with confirmation (again) of FIFA 15 for everything but Wii U, even the Wii and 3DS were included in year's releases.
To end this segment with a memorable moment from E3, then, here's The Legend of Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma doing a cucco dance.
Be sure to check back soon as we tackle the vital Fall and Holiday periods of 2014, when Nintendo continued to push hard and release some of the year's finest games.
Comments 20
About cross-buy, it was not as you said. It was a deal on one game, which is not the same as actually implementing cross-buy throughout the eshop, which is what we should have by now.
Pokken Fighters
When PC people keep taunting Xbox, PS and Nintendo about having 60FPS. Then the core game speed of Smash Brothers on a 3ds was 60FPS. I cracked up laughing.
@Nintenjoe64 ...is an arcade game
I think what was also worth mentioning was the free game promo with MK8 that had some good full release options. Pikman 3 was the one I chose.
That E3 was so good. I still watch that Digital Event every so often. The whole E3 week was great and I loved the extensive Treehouse coverage.
I love these retrospective articles as well. I had almost completely forgotten about that Twitter/EA and Miiquality stuff. That Luigi Death stare was the best free publicity Nintendo could have ever hoped for with MK8.
The Treehouse streams were easily the best part of E3, especially the Splatoon hype each day for more gameplay. I hope they do streams this E3 and I'd be willing to stay awake until 2-3am every day to watch the whole thing live again. It was nice having Mario Kart 8 arrive very near the end of my exam period so I could play for hundreds of hours afterwards.
E3 2014 in my opinion was the best E3 for Nintendo! I can't wait for this year and for what E3 2015 has in store for us
I say that in this year's E3 we'll see full playable demo of Zelda and Starfox (since they're launching this year) and announcements for new Metroid and Animal Crossing games for Wii U for 2016.
E3 this year was the point when I started thinking Nintendo might turn this around. While it probably won't be a runaway hit, it at least can be a decent system.
I still would like to see them revisit forgotten franchises and do a better job of just releasing all the stuff they make outside of Japan. I sometimes feel like there are a ton of Nintendo properties stuck in that junction of Wreck-It Ralph just dying to return to our screens.
I got Squids Odyssey on 3DS last week and, sure enough, it was automatically on my Wii U too! There was, however, no information whatsoever about this cross-buy promotion at any point...
@Darknyht
"While it probably won't be a runaway hit, it at least can be a decent system."
In terms of sales, it's hard to imagine a world where the Wii U is a success, even a minor one. We'll have to see what the holiday results are, but I wouldn't hold my breath. If Mario Kart and Smash can't do it, I just don't see any other games making it take off.
"I still would like to see them revisit forgotten franchises and do a better job of just releasing all the stuff they make outside of Japan."
Fatal Frame: please, and thank you.
I agree with everyone that E3 was great this year and represented a turning point for the Wii U. Before then the Wii U didn't have a lot of games and the biggest games were fairly generic sequels to their existing IPs (NSMBU, 3D World, Tropical Freeze). But this E3 finally showed a little bit of creativity, most notably through new IP Splatoon but also through Captain Toad to a lesser degree.
@MoonKnight7 Never implied it would be a success, although I think they may still be able to eek out a net profit from it. I do think however that they can make it into an enjoyable system much like the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast was not a success but still is a system that is loved even today and offered many great experiences.
Ultimately, I would say they need to lay a solid foundation of support for the system to build upon with the next one. Use this system to solve the difficulties of programming in HD. Be experimental with online, DLC, and anything else you can think of now. Work all of that stuff out with the "failed" system so that it is resolved and solid by the launch of the your entry into the ninth generation of gaming systems.
At the same time, do everything you can to establish loyalty from those that own the system and what you can to bring more into the fold. As much as Nintendo hates the idea, there needs to be a $30-40 price range for games. Super Mario 3D World and everything Nintendo made prior that sold (if only in the eShop) needs to be $39.99 or $29.99 now. Mario Kart 8 joining the ranks in May unless it is repackaged to include the DLC tracks. By this time next year, Capt. Toad needs to be either $29.99 or $19.99.
No they won't save the Wii U from it's fate, but they can start righting consumer perception about them in general.
E3 was definitely the highlight of April-June and arguably the biggest highlight of the year, with the two Smash Directs and the dual release of Smash Wii U and Pokemon ORAS being the other highlights of the year.
Nintendo such a great job at E3 with an entertaining Digital Event broadcast that made the traditional press conference feel outdated, a Smash tournament that was pure awesomeness, and the brilliant Treehouse Live stream. I think Nintendo set a new standard with their approach last year, with the PlayStation Experience being largely Sony's version of the Treehouse Live as evidence.
@Darknyht
For the first part I misinterpreted, so my apologizes. I will agree with the experimentation, but I largely believe the Wii U has already become an experimental system, as we saw during E3. The demos Miyamoto was showing are typically things to be shown when a system has yet to be released. I think they're already on track with that.
As far as game reductions are concerned, I do not believe lowering the prices on things like Mario 3D World is a wise thing to do. For one thing, it's already considered part of a bundle. If you lower the price, it diminishes how much of a value the customer is getting. Instead of saving $60 it is now $40.
The Wii U is already breaking even with each system sold, and they are using things like games to try and turn a profit. I find it to be unwise to lower the prices of games on a system that is not making any money to begin with.
Treehouse stream was definitely the best part of E3. I loved hearing all the new info about games and watching all the gameplay from 2014/15 games. Especially Bayonetta 2 which is another game I still need to get...
These were the first months I got my WIi U. Good memories! E3 was freaking amazing. And am I the only one that thinks the Tomodachi Life gay controversy was REALLY stupid??
@Dark-Link73 Star Fox has been confirmed playable at E3.
@Rob_mc_1 Hell's yeah! Pikmin 3 was awesome... Great buy!
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...